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Youth voices take the stage at Alachua County library during National Poetry Month
By Chrystie Blot
April 6, 2025 at 6:04 PM EDT
https://youtu.be/eyi5KQeDcrQ
Spoken word, monologues, poetry, and open mics are just a few of the mediums local artists are highlighting this April as National Poetry Month kicks off.
To celebrate, the Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival is hosting a series of events from Saturday through April 13 that highlight the creativity within the local community. One of the first events launching the festival was the Teen Spoken-Word Poetry & Monologue Competition, titled “Word-Slay: Standing on Words.”
Event coordinator for Word-Slay: Standing on Words, Ra’Chelle Banks, said working with youth is the heart of her mission.
“I love that there's opportunities like this one where kids can be supported in things that they want to do and show up for those who are doing positive strides,” she said.
The Saturday event at the Alachua County Library District headquarters event featured talented youth from across the county, each performing original pieces that ranged from deeply personal monologues to passionate spoken-word poetry. The competition gave students a platform to talk about something they resonate with while also getting feedback from some influential people.
“I’ve been coaching for a while and that's my passion so I want to help kids find their passion for the arts and how they can excel in it,” Banks said.
She emphasized the importance of giving young people opportunities to strengthen their writing, try new forms of expression, and gain confidence in front of an audience.
“I’m a fan of kids being able to have the opportunity to be a part of a contest and experience good pressure to have real-life learning experiences,” Banks said.
ARTSPEAKSgnv Inc., is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support poets and artists in North Central Florida. E. Stanley Richardson is the first Alachua County Poet Laureate, and he facilitated the event.
Richardson has dedicated his efforts in encouraging the community, especially youth, to explore interests in writing and the arts.
Richardson wants children in schools to have the option and resources to learn more about the arts or even integrate it in previous interests like football.
“I want to expose the youth and let them know that they can maybe play football but also use their creative writing to write about how to win or practice,” Richardson said.
The first-place winner, fifth-grader Caliah Grant, is a great example of this. Grant is interested in acting and theatre but participated in this competition because she wanted to explore her writing abilities.
“It took me one try to write my piece and I kind of just wrote what I thought,” Grant said.
Her winning piece is about a bird that she and her brothers would often see in front of their home, so they decided to call it “Marshmallow.”
She channeled that special moment that she shares with her brother and put those emotions into a written piece that allowed her to win first place, a certificate and $150 dollars.
The Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival continues throughout the week with workshops, readings from local poets, and more open mic nights, all focused on celebrating diverse voices and the art of speaking.
“I want to and try to encourage the school district to implement creative writing programs, and some are already doing it, but I want to expand it to all schools,” Richardson said.
Spoken word, monologues, poetry, and open mics are just a few of the mediums local artists are highlighting this April as National Poetry Month kicks off.
To celebrate, the Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival is hosting a series of events from Saturday through April 13 that highlight the creativity within the local community. One of the first events launching the festival was the Teen Spoken-Word Poetry & Monologue Competition, titled “Word-Slay: Standing on Words.”
Event coordinator for Word-Slay: Standing on Words, Ra’Chelle Banks, said working with youth is the heart of her mission.
“I love that there's opportunities like this one where kids can be supported in things that they want to do and show up for those who are doing positive strides,” she said.
The Saturday event at the Alachua County Library District headquarters event featured talented youth from across the county, each performing original pieces that ranged from deeply personal monologues to passionate spoken-word poetry. The competition gave students a platform to talk about something they resonate with while also getting feedback from some influential people.
“I’ve been coaching for a while and that's my passion so I want to help kids find their passion for the arts and how they can excel in it,” Banks said.
She emphasized the importance of giving young people opportunities to strengthen their writing, try new forms of expression, and gain confidence in front of an audience.
“I’m a fan of kids being able to have the opportunity to be a part of a contest and experience good pressure to have real-life learning experiences,” Banks said.
ARTSPEAKSgnv Inc., is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support poets and artists in North Central Florida. E. Stanley Richardson is the first Alachua County Poet Laureate, and he facilitated the event.
Richardson has dedicated his efforts in encouraging the community, especially youth, to explore interests in writing and the arts.
Richardson wants children in schools to have the option and resources to learn more about the arts or even integrate it in previous interests like football.
“I want to expose the youth and let them know that they can maybe play football but also use their creative writing to write about how to win or practice,” Richardson said.
The first-place winner, fifth-grader Caliah Grant, is a great example of this. Grant is interested in acting and theatre but participated in this competition because she wanted to explore her writing abilities.
“It took me one try to write my piece and I kind of just wrote what I thought,” Grant said.
Her winning piece is about a bird that she and her brothers would often see in front of their home, so they decided to call it “Marshmallow.”
She channeled that special moment that she shares with her brother and put those emotions into a written piece that allowed her to win first place, a certificate and $150 dollars.
The Bard & Broadside Poetry Festival continues throughout the week with workshops, readings from local poets, and more open mic nights, all focused on celebrating diverse voices and the art of speaking.
“I want to and try to encourage the school district to implement creative writing programs, and some are already doing it, but I want to expand it to all schools,” Richardson said.